OMG Judge : Beatrice Chia-Richmond

Meet Judge Queen Bea

When I first heard that she was going to be a guest judge on the show, I was really excited. I had heard so much about this talented woman - award-winning director, actor and producer - I wanted to see how she would tackle the role of Judge. And of course, the groupie in me just wanted to see her in person - so talented, tall and beautiful - cannot be so good in real life right? Wrong.

In person Beatrice is elegant, well-spoken and oh-so-polite. Wearing a simple tank top, ripped jeans and no make-up, she still manages to look regal. I managed to finally catch up with her this morning while she sat down for hair and make-up before an interview on Channel News Asia's Primetime Morning.

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What do you think you bring to the judges' table?

Well, I'm a director. I do this for a living. I'm always in search of new talent, I'm always thinking of ways of how I can make them better. What I hope I'm doing is giving them constructive feedback, by telling them how they can be better at what they're doing, even if they don't make it to the next round. Hopefully I can give them something that will make them better for the next time they perform, wherever that may be.

I direct plays, musicals, shows, even parades, so I'm always on the lookout for new talent, its an occupational hazard!

Now that you've started on this show, do you think Singapore has a lot of talent?

Oh definitely. There are a lot of talented people out there, its just whether they decide to put it to professional use or not. I mean, I can't tell a doctor who's a really good singer that he should give up being a doctor and be a singer instead. Its their choice.

Do you think there's a market for all this talent in Singapore?

Well, that depends on what they are looking for as the end result of their talent. If the direction you are aiming for is to be a big star and earn lots of money; if you're looking at celebrity as your necessary result, this would be the wrong market.

If your aim is to just enjoy performing because you love performing, you could be in Zimbabwe and there would be a market for you.

Asia is a large market. We should look at it that way. But having said that, to be recognised in your own country is already a feat. Today, everything is just a Youtube video away. Lives don't just start and end in Singapore only. If you can make it at that first step, make your mark in Singapore, you can make it on a bigger scale.

Using the American Idol-judge stereotype, please describe the kind of judge you are.

Hopefully I will have a little bit of each Idol Judge in me. I would have Randy's enthusiasm. Paula's encouragement and hopefully, Simon's astuteness. Haha, I'm a 3in1 Judge. *Suresh brings in coffee* Like the 3in1 Coffee Mix! (at this point we all burst out laughing at the because Suresh, the Ch5 marketing manager has just brought in his cup of coffee, and one for Beatrice too).

How will you judge the talents? I mean, its pretty much apples vs oranges out there.

Definitely can't compare them genre versus genre. As a judge, we shouldn't be looking out for technical proficiency (summerr says : not on this show anyway). Those that don't have real audience rapport, no real showmansip, probably wouldn't cut it for me.

Its important that the performers enjoy themselves. Be it a fire-eater, nose-picker, beat boxer, you have to love performing. That comes across and really translates to the audience. That and confidence, is a winning combination in itself. Of course a certain amount of skill and showmanship is required too. Oh and honesty. Honesty is important in anything that you are trying to showcase. And that also really comes through.

What kind of acts are at an advantage or disadvantage?

Singers are at a slight advantage. Singing is a very immediate way of connecting with the audience because you sing to them. You also have words to communicate directly to the audience.

I think people who play an instrument are at a slight disadvantage because they have to express themselves through something else. Its not as direct.

What do you think could be a hurdle for the show?

A lot of acts, when seen live, translates very well. How it translates on tv, through the camera, I don't know. I worry about that. Because in the studio, I'm watching it live, I just want to hug every contestant and put them through.

Have you got any hidden talents? OMG-worthy ones?

I can parallel park in under 2 minutes, no make that 30 seconds, *thinks for a while* no, I can do it in 15 seconds. In fact, I can parallel park anything - car, truck,...auto, manual, all also can!

How about a Hummer?

Hummer? Caaan.... bus also can....but er, have to put disclaimer on the timing for that one. Bus maybe under 2 minutes.

*Beatrice quite farnee hor?*

Any advice for the contestants?

I would say, and this is my general motto in life, ... Take your work seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously.

(summerr says : Omg that's such a great motto, must adopt this and learn to laugh more at myself - really need to start summerrfailblog soon :))

You've taped 3 episodes so far, have you spotted a possible winner already?

Because of the format of the show, because of the 'Challenger' element, you never know who's going to stay on the show from week to week, which is what makes it really exciting. You never know who's going to come in next to knock your socks off.

But so far, seen anyone you think is worth the $50k?

Yes definitely.

*can't tell you who she said though, its a secret ssssh!*

What else have we not seen that you would hope to see in future episodes?

I know that there are a lot of amazing dancers out there. Group dancers. So I would like to see them come on the show.

Do you think Stand-up comedians would have a chance?

Oh for sure! Laughter is another very immediate connection! If you can make people laugh and make people like you, people will vote for you.

Apart from her judging duties, Beatrice is also working on the Vlee Conference (fellow Judge and BFF Irene Ang's stand-up show with Chua En Lai - tix are going fast, click here for more info), producing the Retrolicious concert in October (with Class 95) and some other secret/embargoed project for which she's heading to China this weekend!

Catch Judge Bea every Wednesday night at 8pm on One Moment Of Glory and see if you share the same opinions on the contestants.

xoxo, s.

ps. If you want to get on the show and perform for the Queen Bea herself, email omg@mediacorp.com.sg now!

pps. She really is very very tall in person - so cute she called herself a giant.

Meet OMG Judge : The Flying Dutchman

Ever wondered how The Flying Dutchman got his name?

I actually heard this story on radio. Back in the 70s when he worked at Rediffusion, FD was a deejay there and he worked shifts. He would often help cover a fellow deejay's shift, and this meant he would have to run (really fast) between his studio and another studio. Apparently timing was crucial and the studios were at opposite ends of the building, so FD would run really fast, thus the moniker The Flying Dutchman. I'm assuming he's Dutch. I must double-check this the next time I see him.

Aside from being one(very important)-third of Class 95's major cashcow The Morning Express with Vernetta Lopez and Glenn Ong, FD also runs his own events management company called TFD Pte Ltd (TFD = The Flying Dutchman la!). They even have a 'wedding planning' division called 'The Wedding Entourage' - how cute is that?

Having been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years, what FD brings to the table is experience with a capital 'E'. He's been there, done that - he's hosted, been a deejay, been on tv, in fact, he was the face/host of Singapore's version of Who Wants To Be A Millionnaire and more recently his own talk show Blog TV for Channel News Asia. Always one to ask insightful, provocative questions, FD is influential yet able to laugh at himself. I recently caught him on Channel 5's Entertainment on 5 in what looked like a kaftan, talking about taking belly-dancing classes. Older men who take belly dancing classes and then talk about it on national television are few and far between. I like the fact that although he looks really serious, and he does talk about serious issues, he has a wicked sense of humour and doesn't take himself too seriously.

I managed to catch him in between shutter clicks at the 'secret' Judges photoshoot a few weeks back and have been keeping this interview roasting til now.

What was your reaction to being invited to Judge on One Moment of Glory?

I am thoroughly looking forward to it. I'm waiting to see what kind of talent we're gonna get. I'm excited, because now, if you have a talent, you finally get a chance to show it. Shows like Idol and Dancefloor have proven that Singapore DOES have talent.

A show like this (OMG!) will further prove that we have a lot of unique talent. I say give the buskers a chance to get into the act too.

Any expectations in terms of the types of talents you would hope to see on the show?

Well I hope there will be something that will surprise me. Like, "Oh My God I DIDN'T KNOW you could do THAT!"

Actually I'd like to see the women come to the fore now. I want to see women do well in competitions like this. Look at Sylvia Ratonel, she's done quite well for herself, and I hope to see more women step up and show us what they've got, and maybe even win this.

What kind of 'women-type' talents are you hoping to see?

I don't know, surprise me, speed-knitter? Women can do anything these days!

Hopefully the contestants will take more of a gamble this time, and really go for it, because even at the public voting stage, Judges still get a 50% say, so we have a little more power (compared to 100% viewer-voting formats).

summerr says : I think what FD's saying about the 'more power' bit is that, ultimately, because Judges have a say, the results won't be based solely on popularity or the 'young teen girl vote' which has created a fair bit of controversy for shows like Idol. Real talent, good talent will be recognised here.

How are you going to judge the talents? Its apples vs oranges on this show.

I've been in the entertainment business for over 30 years, I've seen it all. I will judge based on what Singapore can offer and the situation we're in in Singapore. In a local context, we will have people who will make you go 'wow'. It won't be based on what I've seen overseas or on tv, because those people come from a different culture, upbringing and background. We need to keep it local.

Viewers also need to take cues from Judges to go with their heart. Take cues from us, and KNOW that we are honest. Honest and constructive in our feedback and in our decisions.

Singaporeans should go with what's good. There's support for your friend and there's being objective. Singaporeans need to learn to be objective. Otherwise ultimately, it should be left in the hands of the judges. Also something else to bear in mind, depending on the talent we get there may be talent out there that Singaporeans won't understand. Is the Singaporean viewer too mainstream? We'll see once voting begins.

After watching three tapings of the show, I can safely say that FD really does give a lot of specific and constructive feedback. Like, Irene, he comes from he point of view of an entertainer. He judges contestants based on whether they can entertain and connect with an audience. And I have to say, his belly-dancing experience actually helped .... we have a few belly dancers on the show!

Catch Judge FD on One Moment Of Glory, it premieres this Monday, National Day, right after the parade on Channel 5. Or you can't wait, tune in tomorrow morning (and every week day morning) to Class 95's Morning Express (95.0FM for the blur).

Oh and check out this latest OMG! trailer :) It gives you a sneak peek at the kind of humour you can expect from the judges.

xoxo, s.

ps. Upcoming posts - your hosts Gurmit and Michelle who thought OMG shoulda stood for Only Gurmit and Michelle Show.

:: pics courtesy of Shawn Pang, Channel 5 Marketing and my lil Nokia e71 ::

Love The Judges Trailer!

Go FD, Irene & Beatrice!

Love this trailer, love Beatrice's 'GO HOME' face hahahahahha!

As much as I love DFK, maybe we should let them take a stab at Idol for a few weeks :) I like the chemistry so far!

Check out my interview with Irene Ang in the previous post. Interviews with FD and the hosts comin' up soon too, keep a look out on the blog daily!

xoxo, s.

Meet OMG Judge : Irene Ang

Judge Irene says "Its Okay To Make Mistakes!"

Minus the Rosie Phua's polyester wig, garish tops and stretchy pants, the woman behind that Ah Lian is far from obsessed with just mahjong, slim wrap and Kang Kang. Dressed in top-to-toe BCBG, I thought Irene looked formidable - like someone to be respected - ie, a Judge.

At last Thursday's press conference, I decided to bide my time and wait for the mainstream press to finish their rounds with her and just managed to catch her right at the end, over her last cup of iced lemon tea.

What I enjoyed most about talking to Irene was her energy. She truly has a lot of it, and it shows. Make that ‘passion’. She has a lot of that, for every single pie that she has her finger stuck in. Its no wonder she’s a motivational speaker!

When producers called Irene and invited her to be a judge on OMG!, she jumped at the chance. For her, it was one of the many things she has always wanted to do, and this would be another tick on her already long list of accomplishments.

“I’m very happy to do this. I’ve already done so many things, but I have always wanted to be a judge. You know how people are, when you're watching tv at home and we're all “couch judges”, even my mother loves to judge!”

Irene’s the wearer of many hats. She’s the head honcho of Fly Entertainment, and when she’s not wearing her management hat, she's a motivational speaker and of course she’s an artiste - performing stand-up, hosting events and last but not least, acting.

She has just finished filming ‘Phua Chu Kang The Movie’ with fellow OMG-er Gurmit Singh, they’re out doing publicity for the movie right now. Next on the list of acting engagements is Fly Entertainment’s own baby, a movie called ‘Get Meaty – The Bak Kwa Story’. (With a title like that, I wonder if they'll give out Bak Kwa in the press packs! Halal ones for the Malaysian release!) Anyway, the title definitely sounds interesting, I'm already curious. When filming starts, Irene will have to commute between Singapore and Malaysia every week for her OMG! judging duties. Oh and btw, have I mentioned she's also Executive Producer for the movie? Like I said, she is the wearer of many hats.

About Judging, Irene’s philosophy is, “If you wanna be a Judge, you gotta be prepared to be judged. The Bible says ‘Judge not lest you be judged’."

“FD and I have been judged so much over the years, we qualify to be judged based on our longevity!" *cue Irene's very loud and distinct laughter*

Irene’s not kidding about being judged. “I’ve been judged as a host, an actress, a stand-up comedienne, a singer. I get judged all the time.”

How are you going to judge the talents, considering that its like apples vs oranges?

I will look at the talent and see if they have potential to be an entertainer. Looking at it from an events manager’s perspective also, whether they will bring something different and unique to the stage when there’s a show.

What do you bring to the table as a judge?

I’m an entertainer. I know how difficult some acts are. There’s a lot of technique involved that the audience doesn’t see. For instance, those belly dancers (Desert Roses performed at the press conference), they have to make all their body parts move at different speeds from each other, they have to isolate their torso from their limbs, and from their chest. Not easy.

What do you think is the best part of OMG!’s format?

Best part is that you can be GONE any time! People can come and challenge you and you can be gone.

Don’t you think that’s a little unfair especially those who have managed to defend their spot and stay on til the final few episodes?

I think that’s fair. That’s life. You have to up your game to keep in the race.

What kind of judge will you be?

I can choose to be fake or real. I choose to be honest and real. So far we’ve all been real and constructive. We are in the business, we don’t want to kill people’s dreams. I see myself more like a mentor. I’ve made so many mistakes as a performer. I just want to share my experience with them.

My first stand-up was 10 years ago. I was thrown on stage in a show with Selena (Tan) and Hossan (Leong), both veterans in the field, and I didn’t know anything. Next day, Straits Times published a half page story with the headline “Fanny Wong Is Not Funny”, and that completely stopped me from doing any more stand-up. (Irene’s routine were Fann Wong jokes.)

4 years ago, my good friend Beatrice got me to get up and give it another try. The more I do stand up now, the more material I develop.

To date, stand-up still makes me nervous, so I must have some wine before, and I’ll always run through my pointers with a point man (she means her PA Harry). But at least now, even if I blank, I can fall back on the vast amount of material I already have in my head. I can improvise too, I can talk about the flowers on the table, or someone's shoe, and I'll just talk and talk until I come back to where I left off. It comes with experience.

Any advice for the contestants?

Its really about making mistakes. Don’t be afraid to fail. This is not the end. Keep trying and you will get better. Your career is only over if you stop trying.

Beatrice forced me to come out of my shell. Its important to fall and get up again.

In my earlier days, I had people telling me that I was such a bad host. But luckily I was self-motivated about it, so I decided to halve all my hosting prices and got as many bookings as possible, so I practiced a lot. I hosted something every week, and after one year of non-stop hosting experience, I became a better host. So keep trying!

Any hidden talents that we don’t know about?

I can make pretty good Ha Cheong Kai (prawn paste fried chicken – yumm!!!) and prawn noodles (double yumm!!).

Harry the P.A. jumps in here : "She makes the soup from scratch k!"

Irene : "Yea, I boil the prawn head to make the broth and the bak kut (pork rib) has to be marinated separately – that’s all I’m telling you! Ok, but my true hidden talent I think, is my ability to multitask well."

One Moment Of Glory premieres on National Day, right after the parade on Channel 5. Usual timeslot will be Wednesdays, 8pm from 18th August.

If you wanna catch Irene in all her stand-up glory, check her out in her upcoming comedy sketch show called the Vlee Conference. Looks like they're parodying Glee somehow, so I'm definitely gonna go check it out (ahem Hi Harry, got tickets ah? <-- I am shameless! LOL!). The other reason to check it out would be Chua En Lai, I'm a big fan of his characters on the Noose, so would be great to see him and Irene ham it up. Since its satire about the major things we went through in the past year, everyone should be able to relate - I wonder how they'll address the crazy floods, the IR openings and maybe even Ris Low - or is she TOO last year? Follow the jump here for more info on the show, show times and tickets!

xoxo, s.

ps. When she started talking, it dawned on me that dayum, I shoulda used a tape recorder! She’s like a freight train of enthusiasm and experience running at full speed, which for someone scribbling on a notebook = hand cramp! (ok, I’m being a tad dramatic, my hand did not cramp up, hey, I’ve been interviewing people for a long time, I have developed my own short hand, but i did have a small finger mini cramp!)

:: Pics courtesy of the Ch5 Promo team, Shawn Pang, Fly Entertainment and my lil Nokia e71 :) ::

OMG!'s New Trailer & Press Ad

Lookin' good.

Now that the hosts and judges have been unmasked, I've been told a slew of new on-air trailers and press ads will be released, obviously featuring their faces ;) how nice.

Check out the first trailer here, it features hosts Gurmit Singh and Michelle Chong. By the way, if it doesn't load up, go to the OMG Facebook page to watch. This is the first time I'm using the 'embed' function from FB, so fingers crossed it works all the time.

I have to admit I wasn't sure whether to expect a straightforward trailer or a comedic one, considering the fact that Gurms and Michelle are both hilarious naturally and in the many characters they play on tv.

In fact, on the first day I met them, I asked them to come up with another meaning for OMG and they came up with OMG = The 'Only Michelle & Gurmit' Show. Farnee right? Michelle even said, "They tell me this isn't a comedy show, but look at the line-up, you have Irene and FD, and Gurmit and me, and they say its not comedy? Sure not?"

Well, from the way the recordings went for the first few eps, having these seasoned comedians who are quick witted and can think on their feet certainly makes for good show banter, and keeps the energy level of the show up. (In addition to being able to hold their own against the sometimes rude hecklers in the audience).

IMO, although the show is mainly about the talent, it is also about the way the judges and hosts carry the show - you want to see if your judgement tallies (or not) with theirs. I mean, admit it, we're all couch potato judges at heart right?

xoxo, s.

ps. next post will be about the format, sorry, HAD to share the vid and press ad cos they look so glossy!

The Big Reveal : OMG!'s Press Conference

And the Judges and Hosts are....

Finally, the good folks at Channel 5 have publicly unveiled (whoa that didn't sound too kosher), the identities of the hosts and judges for their upcoming talent show One Moment Of Glory. If you've been following my tweets today, you woulda seen it all unfold from about 11am this morning while the press conference was ongoing.

Meet your wonderful hosts - Gurmit Singh and Michelle Chong!

And the OMG! Judges are : resident judges Irene Ang and Mark van Cuylenberg a.k.a. The Flying Dutchman; as well as guest judges Beatrice Chia-Richmond and Jeanette Aw. Unfortunately for us, both Beatrice and Jeanette couldn't make it today due to scheduling conflicts.

As promised, I've recorded videos of what went on at the press con, so here they are for your viewing pleasure. Not the best quality vids mind you, I had to juggle recording this and tweeting/twitpiccing at the same time. Also the venue was super echo-ey and I didn't have proper recording equipment (please remember I am just a mere blogger, not an actual videographer or producer :), but I try my best, so hope you can make out what's goin' on.

Class 95's Jean Danker emceed the press con and looked mighty hawt in a black and pink mini-dress. Someone commented she looked very Gaga today. I would have to agree - lookit those legs though, they like go on forever! Tsk! Envy!

Anywayyy....

This first vid shows the two hosts being introduced. The sound quality isn't great, but you can still hear what they're saying about the show.

These next two vids feature the two resident judges talking about the show. Have a listen to what FD has to say about how he and Irene are going to be judging the talent on the show.

After the big reveal, Channel 5 surprised the press further by introducing a few 'sample' acts from the show. First up were b-boy group Luminiq.

Followed by soulful strummer singer-songwriter, Jill Marie Scott, singing her accoustic version of the Wondergirls hit 'Nobody'. Jill's actually a mini Youtube star, do a search for her and you'll see.

Next up were a belly-dancing trio called Desert Roses, followed by Vertical Dancer Irene Ng. Do note, its NOT 'pole-dancing', its 'vertical dancing' because she not only dances up and down poles, she can do any sort of 'vertical' shimmying. (Check out Gurmit in the back when Irene slides down at the end! LOL!)

Finally, show closer for the day was fire artiste Danny Koh. Apparently the poor guy had blisters in his mouth after the show because he 'tahan-ed' a little longer for dramatic effect today. But like any true professional performer, you would never be able to tell. But Ouch! anyway. If you could see me while I was filming this you'd see me going 'Ow' and 'Yikes' every 5 seconds!

After the performances were done, there was a quick photocall (that means photo-taking session for the non-media-type people) and voila, time for makan and mingling! Mingling here = one-to-one interviews with various press.

Check out this impromptu vid I managed to take while Jill and a few guys from Luminiq were just hanging out. Nice. Reminded me of Idol days :)

I think the contestants had a good time showing off their talents and soaking up the atmosphere at their first media event :) Thanks for a good show today you guys - hope the press were just as impressed and will support the show!

Overall, it was quite laid-back, relaxed presser, check out Gurms showing off his skills with a pole. Totally impromptu and all the photogs in the room dashed over and snapped like a gazillion pics of this!

After that, someone took this lovely pic of Mr and Mrs Phua out of costume, a very rare occurence indeed according to Irene Ang's tweet "We barely ever get to take 'normal' pics". (especially now that they're working to promote their new movie - Phua Chu Kang The Movie - I wanna watch this!)

Over the next few days, I'll be putting up the individual profiles and interviews I did with each Judge and Host. Tomorrow's post - "How does the OMG format work?". Imma tackle the difficult task of explaining to you how the show actually works.

Hope you've enjoyed the vids and have a good night!

xoxo, s.

ps. Don't you think Irene Ang looks hawt in that outfit? She's just looking better and better as the years go by. Just found out the jewellery she was wearing was designed by Lum May Yee - so thats where she's disappeared to, jewellery designing!

pps. Did you notice Gurmit's tie? Its a 'Superman' tie. Every time I've seen him for OMG, he's been wearing something 'Superman'. A teeshirt, a belt buckle, and now a tie! Is he gearing up to watch the final season of Smallville? (ok, that was so random :P)

OMG! Judges/Host Big Reveal Tomorrow

The big reveal happens tomorrow!

In just under 14 hours, the media will be introduced to the four Judges and two Hosts of One Moment Of Glory. Of course those who attended the show's recordings last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday already know who they are, but we're all being very good and keeping mum.

I'm actually pretty excited about tomorrow because

1. Its gonna be at *Scape and I haven't really had a good walk around that place - heard from the marketing team that the room where the media conference is gonna be held is pretty snazzy!

2. I'm looking forward to hear what the judges/hosts have to say about their roles on the show and what they've seen so far in terms of talent.

3. I'm interested to hear what our local journos are gonna ask them. I hope someone will ask them really tough questions (and put them on the spot haha)! *evil grin*

4. Last but not least, I just heard that producers may be inviting some of the more, ahem, 'colourful' or 'unique' contestants to perform for the journos! I wonder who they'll cherry-pick and whether these acts are representative of the judges' favourites or are just random? Ooh, if there's fire involved, its gonna be hawt!

Follow me on Twitter tomorrow for live updates and you'll also get to see it all unfold via Twitpic as it happens :)

Follow summerr77 on Twitter now!

The whole thing starts at 11am, so see you on Twitter right about then! Have a good Thursday night y'all!

xoxo, s.